Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 31.

Mavis's POV:

    I wake up to an insane hangover and parched throat. All I remember is pounding drinks to avoid Karden's stares and drunkenly take a taxi back to the apartment. I rub my eyes and lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

    I am Karden's mate.

    Controlling my thoughts, I try not to think how possible it is. Maybe Issy is lying and setting me up. But what more can she want from me when my prize possession is in Karden's hands?

    I'm nothing but a human to them.

    I roll to my side when I feel dizzy and reach for my phone. Scrolling through messages from my friends, there's a missed call from dad at the bottom.

    Sitting up, I groan at the hard pounding of my head and redial the call. It rings and rings and rings until there is no answer. Instead of trying again, I leave it because eventually he'll call back.

    What if I say no to Karden? The thoughts reel back to me as I struggle to fully understand everything. The way he was resisting me at the party last night. Tempted to feel me, touch me, bite me...

    I shiver, running a hand along my arm, the two puncture wounds completely gone. He healed them for me. What more will he do?

    Falling back in bed, I close my eyes for a little while until the headache goes away.

    The moment I wake up for a second time, sunlight escaped, and darkness arrived.

    Tossing dirty dishes in the sink, I wipe my hands with a towel and lean against the counter. It is bittersweet to feel a bit better and finally rested although the headache still pounds against my skull.

    I have enough energy to stay awake for the night, possibly flip on a movie and lazily snuggle on the couch. I think of Hansen again, wondering if he was still alive, would we be going out together? It wasn't intimate but I liked exploring the town with him.

    I wonder if a vampire actually got him.

    Removing the towel from my hair, I brush the knots and smooth it down to air dry. Reaching for the remote, I skim through the movies, picking a comfort one that I have seen a million times to distract myself.

    About an hour into the movie, my phone begins to ring. Glancing down at it, Sam's name is on the screen. I think of Calen and grow guilty for last night. The way his hands trailed up my thigh and felt every place Sam did for the last two years.

    I gulp, eagerly answering the phone before it stops ringing.

    "Hello?" I sound out of breath or maybe I am because my heart is pounding nearly out of my chest.

    "Mavis." His voice is shaking. "Mavis, you need to come back."

    Pausing the movie, I stand and begin to pace.

    I sigh, "Sam if this is another beg, please stop."

    "No, I'm serious." I jump when the front door bangs abruptly. "Mavis, listen to me."

    I stare at the door with wide eyes, the banging shaking the entire frame as if the hinges are about to rip off. I grip onto the edge of the table where my back is wedged into.

    "Yes," I'm shaking now as I try to listen to what Sam is saying and staring at the door. Who can it be?

    "You need to come back."

Bang, bang, bang!

    "What? Why?" I yell through the line, anxious that Sam can't hear me because all I can hear is the bang. Does the landlord ever hear anything?